Vladimir Putin has vowed to retaliate following a deadly drone strike in the Russian-occupied town of Starobilsk in the Luhansk region. Russian officials report that 18 people were killed and 42 injured in the overnight attack, which involved 16 drones.
While Moscow claims the strike hit a student dormitory, the Ukrainian military maintains that the target was the headquarters of Russia's elite Rubicon drone unit. Ukraine further alleged that this specific unit has been responsible for targeting Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure.
Putin dismissed claims that the building was a military facility, asserting that no intelligence or military services were located in the vicinity. As the Kremlin prepares its response, the conflict continues to escalate.
In separate incidents, Russian officials reported drone-related fires and injuries at an oil depot in the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk and damage to private homes in Anapa.
These developments follow President Volodymyr Zelensky’s recent claims of a successful strike against an FSB headquarters in the Kherson region, which he stated resulted in approximately 100 Russian casualties. As both sides trade strikes, the reality of this ongoing war remains a volatile struggle for control over contested territories.
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